Apparatus for lifting stone, &amp;c.



PATENTED JUNE'Q, 1903.

No. 729,9a9.-

I J JONES.

APPARATUS 'FOR LIFTING STONE, gm.

APPLICATION FILED JAN Q. 190s.

' 2 sums- 113M 1. V

#0 MODEL.

I I v L 1 :Rs 60.. PHOTO-LIYHO" WASHINGTON. c c.

TENTBDJWQ 2,;133035 1 v No.

J. JONES. )7 APPARATUS FOR LIPTING STONE, aw.

' APPLIOATION FILED JAN: 19, 1903. v

' 2 gimme-sums: 2.

x0 MODEL.

NITED STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR LIFTING STONE, etc- SPECIFICATION foriningpart of Letters Patent No. 729,939, dated June 2, 1903.

Application filed January 19, 1903. Serial No. 139,617- (No model.)

.. paratus for lifting stone or other material, the

object being to provide a device principally to take the place of the ordinary lewisbolts used prior to thedate of my invention and one by the use of which it is not necessary to drill any holes in the stones for lifting purposes, and consequently there is no liability to damaging the faces of dressed stone or similar material and no probability of stones being released or breaking away from'the grip except as required.

My invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved apparatus, constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, an endelevation of same, and Fig. 3, an enlarged view of a detail of a portion of the apparatus. Figs. 4 and 5 are side and end elevations, respectively, of a slight modification.

In carrying out my invention with reference to the drawings, a represents .the stone or other material to be lifted, while I) indicates the hook of a crane or other hoistingtackle.

The improved deyice consists of two side levers 0, each correspondingin shape and construction 'to the other. At the lower ends these levers are provided with projecting ears;

d on the inside, to which is suit-ably connected a cross-bar f, preferably by means of pins f passing through the ears and cross-bar, so as to enable the levers c to be moved about the pins'f', so as to com'e nearer to or farther away from the centerline of the apparatus. The cross-bar f is provided with a boss at the center of itslength, which is chased or tapped withan internal thread, through which passes a screwed rod 9, the lower end of which may engage with the stone or other material to be lifted or may have coupled to it a suitable loose foot. The rod 9 is capable of being screwed in one direction or the other through the bossf, so as to bring its lower end away from or nearer to the stone to be lifted. The upper end of the rod passes freelyand loosely through a boss h, forming part of a bracket provided with arms 2', the extreme ends of which are slotted so as to embrace the side levers c. The arms and boss forming the brackets have connected to them by means of boltsj, pins, or other suitable means stiff iron or like rods 70, the upper end of which is provided with a loop is for directly attaching the rods to the lifting-hook b, or a ring may be interposed between the hook and the rods. The rods and bracket therefore practically form, as it were, a portion of the lifting chain or rope, and in order to eliminate friction as much as possible between the slots in the arms 7; and side levers o antifr-iction-bowls 0 may be mounted'in the arms 71 on pins 0' on one or both sides of the side levers c. It will be observed that the latter always incline toward the centerline of the apparatus, so that when the arms '21 are in their lowermost position prior to liftinga stone the free ends of the levers c are nearest to the lifting-chain, and when the'latter is drawn up the antifriction-bowls bear against the inside faces of the side levers c and open them out, so as to turn the said side levers about the pins f, and so bring the lower ends of the levers nearer to the center of the apparatus. The lower ends of the levers have pivoted tothem on pins m suitable levers or arms n, which are preferably curved. The lower ends of the arms n have also pivoted to them on pins n plates or shoes n"; preferably, though not necessarily, faced. with rubber or similar. material that will not damage the faces of dressed stone during the lifting of the lattein; I would have it understood, however, that the shoes n may be provided with any suitable form of face-plain, roughened, spiked, or the like-in accordance with the character of the materialtobelifted. The upper .ends of the arms n are embraced by the lower ends of the side levers c and, as will be seen, are provided'with toothed sectors 0 or portions of spur-wheels. Each lever may be provided with one toothed Wheel or sector only or with two. In the latter case, which is the one indicated in the drawings, the teeth of one wheel are arranged opposite the spaces between the teeth of the other, though both wheels are formed in one piece. At the outside of each side lever c is a projecting ear 0', to which is pivoted two pawls or catch-levers p, each of which at the lower end maybe provided with one tooth to engage with the spaces in its corresponding spur-wheel 0, or with several teeth for greater safety, as indicated in the drawings. One catch-lever on each side is only in engagement at a time with its wheel, the other resting on the top of the teeth, thus allowing of greater variety of adjustment of the arms in relation to the angle of the side lovers c. The catch-levers are normally kept in contact with the spurwheels by means of springs j). Pins (1' or projections are formed on the upper ends of the side levers c to prevent the arms a being withdrawn from them and a hand-wheel or out (1 may be fixed to or adj ustably arranged on the screwed rod either for the purpose of adjusting the latter in the boss f" or for locking it in position when adjusted.

The action of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming that a is the stone or other material to be lifted and the improved lifting apparatus is suspended from the hook I) of the lioistingtackle, it will be understood that as the hook is lowered the lower end of the screwed rod 9 comes in contact with the top surface of the stone. So soon as this occurs the arms 1', forming the part of the bracket before referred to, continue to pass downward from a position near the upper ends of the side levers 0 until they assume a position nearer to the cross-barf, as indicated in the drawings. In doing this the upper ends of the side levers c are brought nearer to the lifting-hook, thereby making acute angles with relation to the cross-bar f, the lower ends of the lovers 0 extending outward. As this is being done or prior to it the arms n can be moved about their pivot-pins m to a posit-ion such as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1 by first releasing the pawls or catchlevers p from the toothed wheels or sectors 0. When the apparatus is in its lowest position, the arms a can be closed so as to bring the pivoted feet or plates or shoes n against the surfaces of the stone, the catch-levers 13 engaging with the teeth of wheels 0, so as to lock the arms in position. Hoisting may now proceed, and in doing so the inner ends of the slots formed in the arms t' or the antifriction-bowls carried by the said arms engage with the inside faces of the side levers c, and therefore tend to force them apart and cause the shoes 7?. to tightly grip the stone and lift it as sufficient pressure is applied. \Vhen the stone has been hoisted to the proper position, the shoes are disengaged from it by lowering the hoisting-hook when the lower end of the screwed rod 9 holds the I would have it understood that the con-' structional details of the invention may be altered without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus instead of or in addition to the adjustment of the arms a being made by means of toothed wheels and pivoted catches the shoes a" may be provided with circular screwed shanks s, as in Figs. 4: and 5, passing through screwed bosses s at the lower ends of the arms a, so that the said shoes could be screwed nearer to the mate rial to be lifted, as required. The screws can be locked in position by nuts t or handwheels.

The apparatus, I would say in conclusion, has considerable advantages over the lewisbolts in use prior to my invention and obviates the necessity of drilling the stones, as when such bolts are used.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. An improved apparatus for lifting stone and other material comprising rising and falling arms suspended from the hook of the lifting tackle, pivoted levers passing therethrough, a cross-bar to which the levers are pivoted carrying a screw for adjustment in relation to the stone to be lifted, levers pivoted to the side levers previously referred to provided with shoes or plates at one end to engage with the material to be lifted and at the other end with one or more toothed wheels or sectors and pivoted catch-levers operating in connection with the toothed wheels substantially as described.

2. An improved apparatus for lifting stone and other material comprising rising and falling arms suspended from the hook of the lifting tackle, pivoted levers passing therethrough and embraced by said arms, a crossbar to which the levers are pivoted carrying a screw for adjustment in relation to the material to be lifted and levers pivoted to the lower ends of the first-named levers provided with plates or shoes to engage with the material to be lifted, the said shoes being capable of adjustment substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. In apparatus for lifting stone or other material, the combination with side levers operated outwardly and inwardly by the rising and falling of a cross-bar connected with the lifting chain or rope and with a cross-bar embracing said side levers of a pair of gripperlevers adjnstably pivoted to the lower ends of said side levers and provided with shoes for engagement with the material to be lifted substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for lifting stone or other material the combination with the gripper- IIO levers provided with shoes for engagement In witness whereof I have hereunto set my with the material to be lifted of means for hand in the presence of two witnesses. holding said lovers in a fixed position comprising teeth formed on the pivoted ends of JOHN JONES 5 the levers and catch levers or pawls engage- Witnesses:

able with said teeth into which they are WM. A. COLEBOURN,

pressed by springs substantially as described. J AS. STEWART BRQADFOOT. 

